Donald Byrd

Donald Byrd - At The Half Note Cafe (1960) [2CD] {2004 Rudy Van Gelder Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 985 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 292 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 49 Mb
© 2004 Blue Note | 7243 5 90881 2 9 | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet

This 2004 remastered Rudy Van Gelder edition of Donald Byrd's At the Half Note Cafe (the original double-disc version was only issued for the first time in 2000) appears to add one extra track – "Theme (Pure D. Funk)," which clocks in at 1:51 and is also on the second volume in its full form, and a slightly shorter version of "Cecille." Here it clocks it at 12:52; on the 2000 issue it was 14:46. The sequence has also been altered slightly. The real deal is that, while this is the live date showcasing the Byrd quintet with Pepper Adams (and with Duke Pearson, Lex Humphries, and Laymon Jackson in the rhythm section), there is little here to make this worth purchasing yet again if you have the previous set.

Donald Byrd & Gigi Gryce - Complete Jazz Lab Studio Sessions, Vol. 3 (1957) {2006 Lone Hill Jazz Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 369 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 170 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 43 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1957, 2006 Lone Hill Jazz | LHJ10255
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet / Saxophone

Recorded in February, March, and August 1957, the music on this third volume of the Lone Hill Jazz Complete Jazz Lab Studio Sessions of Donald Byrd and Gigi Gryce is every bit as strong, solid, and inspired as the rest of the evidence generated by these amazing ensembles. The third core member of the Jazz Lab was Art Taylor, a brilliant drummer who facilitated communication among the other members, be they Paul Chambers and Hank Jones or Wendell Marshall and Wade Legge.

Donald Byrd - Slow Drag (1967) {2002 BN Rudy Van Gelder Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 258 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 92 Mb
Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 10 Mb
© 2002 Blue Note / Capitol | 7243 5 35560 2 0 | 24-bit Remaster
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet

Slow Drag was one of trumpeter Donald Byrd's final hard bop dates. Teamed with altoist Sonny Red, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Walter Booker and drummer Billy Higgins (who takes a surprise vocal on the title cut), this quintet outing features originals by Byrd, Walton and Red along with the standards "Secret Love" and "My Ideal." The music in general finds Byrd looking both backwards toward the blues and forwards toward modal music and hints of the avant-garde. A fine effort.

Kofi was extracted from some of last Blue Note sessions of the 1960s before Byrd's ventures into soul fusion territory. The playing here is no less than stellar, with seasoned veterans such as Ron Carter and Airto Moreira giving Byrd more than ample support to stretch out and soulfully foreshadow elements of future recordings. Lew Tabackin easily shares the spotlight with his beautiful flute passages on the title track, while Frank Foster and the rest of the supporting group complement Byrd's playing with a grace that emulates the early chemistry between the early Miles Davis groups of the early '60s. The subtle relaxed tones of this album make it truly one of the essential releases in Byrd's catalog, not only from a historical standpoint (his future collaborations with the Mizell brothers would take him to an entirely different plane of thought), but from a casual listening standpoint as well.

One of his last efforts with the Mizell production team was definitely not his most critically acclaimed, but Caricatures continued Byrd's commercial winning streak that started years previous with 1969's Kofi and such '70s Blue Note classics as Places and Spaces, Black Byrd, and Street Lady. His last release for the label was no exception to the formula set forth from the previously mentioned albums. One of Caricatures strongest features is the level of musicianship from start to finish. Byrd recruited some of the top '70s soul-jazz musicians, such as Gary Bartz, Alphonse Mouzon, David T Walker, and future '80s R&B hitmaker Patrice Rushen, to help complement the musicianship laid down by Byrd and the Mizell brothers…

In 1958 this quintet enjoyed an extended, 6-month stay at a left-bank club, Le Chat Qui Peche, during which time the concert recorded on this album took place (but not in the club). It's pleasant neo-bop but nothing exceptional, and it certainly doesn't acquire the fire and force of the live performances by the group, which was largely driven by Art Taylor's thunderous, explosive beat. ~ Amazon

Donald Byrd - Groovin' For Nat (1962) {Black Lion BLCD760134 rel 1989}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 371 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 158 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 17 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1962, 1989 Black Lion / Phonoco | BLCD760134
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet

On this somewhat obscure Black Lion release (which has been reissued on CD), Donald Byrd teams up with fellow trumpeter Johnny Coles, pianist Duke Pearson, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Walter Perkins for a set of music dominated by hard bop originals; "Angel Eyes" and "Out Of This World" are the only standards. Augmented by three previously unreleased alternate takes, this straightahead session finds Cole's brittle tone sounding more distinctive than Byrd's (who is in more of a Lee Morgan vein) but everyone plays well. Recommended.

Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Idrees Sulieman - Three Trumpets (1957) {Prestige OJCCD-1801-2 rel 1992}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 268 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 95 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 18 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1957, 1992 Prestige Records / Fantasy | OJCCD-1801-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet

An excellent follow-up to the legendary Two Trumpets session on Prestige – and even rarer than that one! Three of the up-and-coming hard bop trumpeters of the 1950s are matched up on this jam session-flavored set: Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, and Idrees Sulieman. With a fine rhythm section (comprised of pianist Hod O'Brien, bassist Addison Farmer, and drummer Ed Thigpen), the brassmen perform five originals (one apiece from Farmer, Byrd, and O'Brien, and two from Sulieman). Although none of the songs caught on ("Palm Court Alley" is actually a blues), there are some fireworks during these performances.

The second of two sets that document a Paris concert by trumpeter Donald Byrd, Parisian Thoroughfare features Bobby Jaspar on tenor and flute, pianist Walter Davis, Jr., bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor. Other than Byrd's "At This Time" and Davis' "Formidable," the quintet sticks to bop standards, many of which are quite concise and clock in at around three minutes. Longer versions of the title track (a high point) and "52nd Street Theme" are exceptions. This spirited, bop-oriented music is the equal of the first volume.

Timeless Donald Byrd combines most of the trumpeter's 1955 Savoy session Byrd's Word and two tracks from alto saxophonist John Jenkins' 1957 Savoy release Jazz Eyes. Both albums are solid examples of mid-'50s mainstream jazz and represent both artists well. Given that these albums go in and out of print, the Timeless compilations are welcome additions to the artists' catalogs, though diehards will still want to seek out the original albums.